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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296062">The Young and The Clueless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler'>argylemikewheeler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Re-posts [73]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, Gen, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, M/M, Mike is dramatic and we love him, Mutual Pining, Steve is gay and trying to help, and obviously... so is robin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:42:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296062</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Mike and Will are pining and Steve’s like “oh I get it” and then he tries to inadvertently get them together</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Robin Buckley &amp; Steve Harrington, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Re-posts [73]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1312241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Young and The Clueless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Steve! Did you see Will’s new project? He’s so talented oh my god, Steve– how is he this good? I don’t understand. I’m <b>genuinely </b>curious– Hey! I’m talking to you!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Steve, hey, Steve… do you think Mike could… I don’t know… Like me? Maybe? I don’t know like, we were talking last week and–”</em>
</p><p>Steve hears something about either Mike or Will from Will or Mike every time he picks one of them up from school. He isn’t sure when he becomes the equivalent of a crush confession-riddled diary, but he honestly doesn’t mind listening. Eventually though, he realizes that both boys are so embarrassingly infatuated with the other– but doing <em>nothing </em>about it.</p><p>They both tell Steve they’re so excited for AV Club after school– <em>it’s extra time to see <b>him</b> without having to be at my house, near my parents</em>– and they both say, after the meeting, that they couldn’t muster up the courage to do anything other than Shop Talk. Which Steve wants to know what exactly AV “shop talk” is that isn’t just like… discussing the finer points of binary code. Which <em>he</em> thinks is kind of gay but like– he isn’t going to say anything. They’re young, not stupid.</p><p>Steve wants to scream nearly every time Mike shuffles into the video store with his hair ruffled and every breath coming out in a long groan, or when Will shuffles in wringing his hands and head hanging low.</p><p><em>“I couldn’t do it.” </em>They always say. <em>“I couldn’t tell him.”</em></p><p>Eventually, Steve <em>has</em> to do something. He can’t just keep standing there, week after week, seeing these boys think the other one will turn them down. Not when he knows, <em>explicitly</em>, in fact, that the other boy would JUMP at the chance to say anything on their mind. He starts talking to Robin, trying to get her to “accidentally” have Will helping her rewind VHS tapes in the back when Steve catches Mike on his weekly Horror Movie run. She doesn’t need convincing; she’s in the moment Steve mentions Byers. “<em>I just really like the kid. He’s the sweetest of the bunch”, </em>she says.</p><p>So then the plan begins. Will comes in first– having been dropped off after school by his mom as she went into work. Steve promised he’d drive Will home after his own shift– and after they hang out at the arcade for a bit. At least that’s what Will thinks. Steve pretends he’s busy organizing a shelf of new arrivals and lets Robin corral him into her work. She makes up a wonderfully elaborate story about this <em>guy</em> who just dropped off a <em>stack</em> of videos without rewinding a <em>single one</em>. Of course, Will won’t say no and puts his backpack under the counter before rushing to help her.</p><p>Mike arrives second, having biked over after school. He took longer than Steve was used to, moping in the front door with his hands in his pockets. He looks more dejected than usual– maybe he’d actually gotten some courage and…</p><p>No. No that definitely didn’t happen. Because 1. Steve would’ve <em>heard </em>about it.and 2. if he’d told Will how he felt, he would <em>not</em> be so damn <em>sad</em>. Mike was just… running out of patience with his own fear. Steve understands before Mike even looks at him.</p><p>“It’s alright, Wheeler.” Steve steps around the counter and holds an arm out for him, waving him into a sideways, half-committed (so half-embarrassing) hug. “What happened today?”</p><p>Mike sighs and lets his head rest on Steve’s shoulder. “I almost told him. I almost did… I came <em>so </em>close. He was talking about going to the arcade after school and I was almost like ‘Hey! Do you mind if I go with you? I’d love to hang out’ and then I thought <em>that’s</em> not clear enough. That’s how I talk to Lucas– how I talk to Max for fuck’s sake!”</p><p>“Watch it, Wheeler.”</p><p>“So then I was trying to figure out how to like, <em>ask him out </em>but to his <em>own afternoon plans</em>. Which is just fucking <em>stupid!”</em></p><p>“Wheeler, watch the language, come on. I work here.” Steve says sternly. He keeps his arm around Mike’s shoulders though, squeezing his arm.</p><p>“I just couldn’t do it. So now I’m <em>here </em>with <em>you</em> like, two stores down from him but I can’t just <em>go over there</em> without it being weird and like I <em>followed him</em>.” Mike throws his hands up in exasperation, nearly knocking Steve over. “What the hell am I supposed to <em>do</em>, Steve. I think I’m going to die if I don’t tell him. I think I’m going to literally <em>die</em> if I can’t tell Will that I like him.”</p><p>“Okay, well, you aren’t going to do that.” Steve says, pushing his arms down. “You aren’t going to die. Promise.”</p><p>Mike sighs and seems suspicious, but he stays silent, giving Steve his attention.</p><p>“Why can’t you just join Will at the arcade? Bring some extra quarters and go cheer him on while he plays uh, <em>Burger Time </em>or whatever.” Steve says. Mike groans and covers his eyes with the palms of his hands. “What did I get the freaking name wrong again?”</p><p>“No. I can’t do that because…” Mike lets his hands drop. “I <em>already</em> bring him extra quarters. That won’t <em>say</em> anything different. That’s just us being friends.”</p><p>“Oh dear <em>God</em>.” Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. Oh, they were worse off than he thought. The gesture of extra coins for Will’s current attempt at high score is supposed to be a <em>moment. </em>A brief double-take where Will is both happy and flattered and swept up in the excitement of playing that his vision just <em>shifts</em> into rose-colored joy. That was the Whole Plan.</p><p>But it’s useless if <em>ALL</em> of that is just… <em>how Mike and Will are all the time.</em></p><p>“Okay so you might die.” Steve mutters, running his hands down his face. “Because I think I might kill you.”</p><p>“Hey! I’m in <em>mourning</em> right now!” Mike snaps, poking Steve’s chest. “I’m in love and I’m–”</p><p>“You’re <em>what</em>?” Steve grabs Mike’s hand, pushing his finger away. “Did you just say <em>in love</em>?”</p><p>“Yeah, I did.” Mike catches up to the weight of his own sentence then, too. “I did.”</p><p>“Well that changes things.” It didn’t change any bit of Mike, but it changes Steve’s plan. This kid was in over his head, just a little bit. To figure out you’re in love when you’re lost to it already was a tough situation– Steve knows that much. At least Will likes him back.</p><p>“Hey dingus, what’s all the yelling for out– Oh, hey Mike.” Robin stands in the archway of the backroom, leaning to the side. Will emerges beside her, stopping short as he sees Mike– and hears Robin draw attention to him.</p><p>Steve has never seen the two boys look at each other before. At least not from this angle. He can feel himself fade away in their world, any of his words becoming muffled horn noises to their foggy young brains. Mike shuts his jaw tightly, as if he can remove his previous words from ever being heard. Will’s lips are parted– as if he’s winded, or in shock rather. Steve doesn’t need to hear Will and Robin’s conversation to hear an echo of Mike’s words.</p><p>“What are you two idiots doing out here?” Robin steps toward the counter, her slow dragging posture bringing Will with her. Steve feels like there is a stand off forming.</p><p>“Talking about–”</p><p>“The arcade. We were talking about the arcade.” Steve says quickly. He brings his arm around Mike’s shoulders, slapping his chest with less subtlety than he hoped.</p><p>“You were?” Will says. “You’re coming with me, right Steve?”</p><p>“See, that’s just it. I don’t think I can– just got off the phone with the boss. Said I have to clean up the back room for a bit and–”</p><p>“I’ll go with you.” Mike says quickly. “I can go with you if you want some company–”</p><p>“I’d love some.” Will sounds <em>way</em> too eager, but neither of them seem to notice, and Robin and Steve aren’t about to mention it.</p><p>“I can… make Robin do the work if you don’t want to go Mike.” Steve is testing the waters, ignoring Robin’s glare.</p><p>“No, no I’ll go. The arcade sounds… really fun.” Mike’s caught in his own breath, his smile small but reaching all the way up to his hairline. “I’ve been meaning to go, but I really hate going by myself.”</p><p>“You should’ve said something today when I mentioned it.” Will laughs, walking around the counter. Steve tries not to look between the two of them like he’s waiting for an explosion, for something volatile to react. “You’re <em>always </em>invited. Anywhere I go.”</p><p>“Will, I–” Mike speaks quickly, shaking his head in his own quiet disbelief. Steve nearly jumps into the conversation, begging Mike not to pick <em>now</em> to be <em>his moment– </em>but he waits, eyeing Mike’s slow blinking. His decision (or lack thereof) crosses his face, easing the tension coiling in his brow. Mike was compelled to be honest, but Mike isn’t going to be <em>irrational</em>. Steve could respect the impulse-- and the control. “I’d really love to go– Do you think you could show me how to be so good at Dig Dug? I-I can’t have Max show us <em>all</em> up.”</p><p>Will starts walking, rolling his eyes. “You’re so distracted whenever I try to help.”</p><p>“Y-Yeah.” Mike mutters, turning away from Steve pointedly. “It’s always so... loud in there.”</p><p>Robin looks over from the counter at Steve, her eyebrows trying to reach her hairline. Steve is thinking the same thing, he’s sure. <em>How far <b>gone</b> are these too?</em></p><p>“Have fun!” Steve says to them, rolling his eyes at Robin. She throws her head into her hands and tries to smother his laughter. “When you need a ride just let me--” The store door closes on the last end of Steve’s sentence. Both boys are walking past the windows, smiling and looking to be saying very little. “know... Did you <em>see </em>that?”</p><p>“Oh, I <em>saw </em>it. You didn’t see Will though. Wow, just <em>wow</em>. That kid is--”</p><p>“In love?” Steve says, propping one elbow up on a shelf. It was a pointless question. Of course he is. Literally anyone could see that-- except maybe them.</p><p>“Don’t tell me Mike said it too.” Robin sighs. “God, when do you think they’re going to get it together?”</p><p>"If they’re anything like us,” Steve pauses for every year of personal silence held between the two of them. He keeps himself from mourning, from feel like those kids were doomed to <em>any</em> one future. They’re young, not lost. “when they’re ready.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://argylemikewheeler.tumblr.com/post/618678445645463552/the-young-and-the-clueless">The Rebloggable Post!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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